Roxburgh revels in Rake

Albury born actor Richard Roxburgh says women love seeing bad things happen to Cleaver Greene, star of the ABC TV's Rake. Season two starts tonight at 8:30 and Roxburgh is promising a witty and fun ride is this season with Cleaver defending his usual array of suicide bombers, thieves, murderers, sex offenders, traitors, and psychotic school girls.

Richard Roxburgh is affable lad about town Cleaver Greene in Rake two which begins on ABC TV tonight at 8:30.

Roxburgh says If you thought it went bad for Cleaver in the first season it gets a heck of a lot worse in the second season.

"he's one part snake oil salesman and one part romantic genius in the court room who gets himself into more trouble".

The name Cleaver is also homage to former Albury Mayor and Senator for New South Wales Cleaver Bunton (5 May 1902 - 20 January 1999), who was in office when Roxburgh was growing up in Albury in the 1970s, and affectionately dubbed Mr Albury.

One of the first performances Roxburgh featured in was at the Albury Civic Centre, now the Entertainment Centre, in "Death of a Salesman".

A performance he says helped shape him and put him on the creative path of becoming an actor.

These days he, his wife Silvia Colloca and their two sons call the Northern Beaches of Sydney home, but Roxburgh says it has parallels to his home town of Albury.

"the boys can run around barefoot, and it reminds me of my youth in the sense of a village where people know your name and the names of your kids".

Roxburgh is pleased with his latest work, and hasn't ruled out a third season of the popular Rake.

His portrayal of Cleaver Greene with his cocky swagger, lad about town image lends itself to people wanting the defence barrister to be tripped up.

There are more twists and turns, and cases that no one wants to touch featuring in the second season of Rake.

As well as the return of the first season cast there are supporting roles from a who's who of Aussie actors in the second series, including Toni Collette, Jack Thompson, Garry McDonald, Rhys Muldoon, Stephen Curry and Jacqueline McKenzie to name a few.

Roxburgh attributes the witty, intelligent and refined scripts for helping to attract the talented ensemble of Rake.